Control of Head Smear Generated From DLC Films Using an External Electric Field

In this study, the dependence of the electric field between the magnetic disk and Si wafer, used as the counter surface, on the hydrocarbon smear generated from the diamond-like carbon (DLC) overcoat was investigated. As a result, the positive electric field from the disk to the Si wafer increased the amount of smear, and the negative field reduced it. The positive electric field was estimated to extract hydrocarbon ions from the thermal plasma toward the Si wafer, and the opposite field attracts the hydrocarbon ions to the DLC surface. Therefore, the electric field between the slider and disk possibly controls the smear generation from the DLC overcoat, which is heated by laser irradiation in the heat-assisted magnetic recording).